335092017-09-16Demonstration of "Optical Mining" For Excavation of Asteroids and Production of Mission Consumables, Phase ICompletedJun 2015Dec 2015This SBIR Phase-1 project will demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative breakthrough in ISRU methods that we call "Optical Mining". Optical mining is an approach to simultaneously excavating carbonaceous chondrite asteroid surfaces and driving water and other volatiles out of the excavated material and into an enclosing inflatable bag without the need for complex or impractical robotics. In optical mining, highly concentrated sunlight is delivered to the surface of the asteroid through a mechanically simple but optically sophisticated system of reflective non-imaging optics. The highly concentrated optical energy ablates the surface in a controlled way analogous to how intense lasers can ablate surfaces constantly exposing new material and forcing water out of the ablated material. Optical mining is part of a mission concept that ICS Associates has developed called Apis (Asteroid Provided In-Situ Systems). Apis is a commercially viable approach to the extraction, processing, and delivery of water from asteroids to in-space assets. Mission system studies show that Apis can extract up to 100MT of water from an accessible near Earth asteroid and deliver it to Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (LDRO) based on the launch of just one modest sized spacecraft from a single Falcon 9 rocket. The Apis mission concept depends on the completion of the proposed SBIR work. In this Phase-1 SBIR we will develop a facility to simulate and demonstrate key aspects of optical mining to show the mission system feasibility of Apis and provide a breakthrough in ISRU and space transportation for NASA. We will do this by upgrading an existing xenon arc lamp and vacuum system and using the optical energy from the lamp to simulate optical mining on asteroid materials in vacuum. We will perform experiments to validate the process by optically ablating the surfaces of meteorite samples and asteroid simulations under carefully controlled and observed conditions.Potential NASA Commercial Applications: The proposed work will support NASA's plans for human exploration by providing mission consumables and propellant for all missions of the Evolvable Mars Campaign including: human exploration missions to Lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (LDRO), human exploration missions to near Earth asteroids in their native orbits, exploration of the Moon, and exploration of Mars. Completion of the proposed work demonstrating the physics and chemistry of optical mining will enable NASA to fly the extremely exciting "Apis" mission. Requiring only a modest-sized spacecraft launched to a low positive C3 compatible with a single Falcon 9 rocket, Apis is capable of providing NASA with propellant and mission consumables in cis-lunar space. The proposed SBIR work will demonstrate a key aspect of the Apis mission, namely the process of "Optical Mining" to excavate asteroid surfaces by ablation, drive water from the ablated materials, collect the evolved water as ice in cold storage bags, and return up to 100MT (metric tonnes) of water to LDRO or other depot location. Optical mining could also be used to extract the volatile materials from the target of the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) and convert that material to consumables and propellant in cis-lunar space to support human exploration.24432394Robotics and Autonomous Systems32764.3Manipulation35914.3.6Sample Acquisition and Handling32457Human Exploration Destination Systems32937.1In-Situ Resource Utilization37407.1.2Resource AcquisitionSBIR/STTRSpace Technology Mission DirectorateJohnson Space CenterJSCNASA CenterHoustonTXICS Associates, Inc.IndustryLake View TerraceCACaliforniaTherese GriebelCarlos TorrezJoel C Sercel26540Briefing ChartImageDemonstration of "Optical Mining" For Excavation of Asteroids and Production of Mission Consumables Briefing Chart26998https://techport.nasa.gov/file/26998101747717901https://techport.nasa.gov/file/1790199820535757Briefing Chart ImageImageDemonstration of "Optical Mining" For Excavation of Asteroids and Production of Mission Consumables, Phase I26834https://techport.nasa.gov/file/2683499820523900Project ImageImageDemonstration of "Optical Mining" For Excavation of Asteroids and Production of Mission Consumables Project Image16883https://techport.nasa.gov/file/1688399820536547STMD LetterDocument27600https://techport.nasa.gov/file/27600329935